Jeremiyah Love Hall of Fame Grade

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love takes the handoff…

Sometimes he exercises patience and waits for the hole to develop; other times, he wastes no time and hits the hole like he was shot out of a cannon.

All it takes is the slightest of creases.

With his vision and instincts, he usually finds it one way or the other.

That’s when the real fun begins ⎯

Love hits the gas, and his tank is full of a rare mix of speed and power.

He’s as electric and energetic as he is shifty and determined. Arm tacklers need not apply. Between his head fakes, wiggle, bend, hurdles, spin moves, and straight arm, defenders need to either bring it or get off the track.

#4 is coming through.

What makes him so special?

Watching Love on every rushing attempt is like watching someone trying to get the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube. He squeezes space better than any running back I’ve ever evaluated. And when there’s nothing left for him to do on a run, he’ll lower his head and fit through that little bit of space, and he’s always falling forward.

Love is what I call “A space architect.” He knows exactly how to find, create, exploit, and maximize every possible inch of available space in front of him on a football field. When he breaks out of the pack, that’s when you can really see it. He’s extremely calculated. He’ll adjust his path while running in the openfield to optimize the angles defenders have on him.

And not just as a runner out of the backfield either.

Also, as a receiver.

In fact, the more open space he has to negotiate with, the better. I should mention Love is also a legit receiver out of the backfield, which only makes him even more dangerous (27 catches on 34 targets in 2025 for a catch rate of 79.4%)

And no matter if he’s taking a handoff or catching the ball, he’s not looking to go out of bounds.

There’s something else that makes him special

He’s as selfless as they come. The No. 1 trait in team sports.

Even more impressive than all the runs and catches ⎯

• The 26 blitz pickups and 17 additional blocks he made that I charted

Any negatives?

I’ll be honest, they were tough to find.

Really clean tape.

If I had to say a couple of things ⎯

Maybe he tries to get a little too fancy at times with his hurdling attempts, and if a defense can box him in before he clears the line of scrimmage, they usually shut him down.

How about some more positives?

• Durability
• Ball security

Love never missed a game due to injury during his three seasons at Notre Dame. Even during his last game against Stanford, he appeared to hurt his rib area when Notre Dame was up 7-0. He returned to the field when Notre Dame was up 28-7.

Nothing could keep him out.

According to ESPN, in three seasons, no lost fumbles.

Seems the positives far outweigh the negatives.

#4 Jeremiyah Love 6-foot-0, 214 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of February 1, 2026

Jeremiyah Love is a Name to Know (2024: 16 games evaluated)

2025 game film evaluated: Miami, Texas A&M, Purdue, Arkansas, Boise State, NC State, USC, Boston College, Navy, PITT, Syracuse, and Stanford (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

NFL comp: Saquon Barkley

2025 rushing stats: 199 carries for 1,372 yards (6.9 avg.), 18 touchdowns

2025: 16.5 carries per game vs. 2024: 10.2

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Explosive cutback runner with homerun hitting speed. Long legs. Muscular calves. Tough. Passionate playmaker. Consistent. Quick feet. Smooth. Great contact balance. Hard charging. Anticipates defenders and keeps them guessing what he’s going to do. Can overcome tackles. Fights for yardage. Strong leg drive. Defensive runner who will dish it out. Confident catcher with hands. Dependable safety valve. Can split out and get downfield. Took some snaps in Wildcat.

Final words

Love adds another dimension to an NFL team’s offense.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.